London’s Best Wedding Venues

London is stuffed with quirky theatres, contemporary arts spaces and staggeringly beautiful structures. With so many notable buildings, churches and suppliers in the city, it’s the perfect place to get married or celebrate a civil partnership. But the sheer volume of choice means finding a fun wedding spot can be a daunting task. Here are 10 gems to get you started, in no particular order. Please leave your own tips in the comments and we'll add them to each section as we go along, to hopefully build up a useful resource.

Central

Via StreetView.
Home House lies behind unassuming doors on Portman Square. It’s a private members’ club with buckets of character. You don’t have to be a member to have your wedding here and there is space for you to say your vows, have an outdoor drinks reception and have your wedding breakfast in its great drawing room. There are plenty of dreamy backdrops for photographs and you can even stay the night.

Wedding licence? Yes.Can we stay the night? It has 20 bedrooms furnished in 18th Century style.Typical hire cost: The civil ceremony room is £950 + VAT, the Parlour Room and the Eating Room are £1,925 + VAT and, for an additional £250 + VAT, the patio can be reserved.

Another members’ club in London. Its most beautiful feature is the lantern-lit rooftop terrace. Being toasted with the backdrop of the central London skyline has a special sort of significance for city newlyweds. The venue can accommodate 80 guests for the service, 85 for a sit-down meal and 250 for drinks and dancing.

Wedding licence? Yes.Can we stay the night? No, but the beautiful Dean Street Townhouse is close by.Typical hire cost: Room hire: £2,000, minimum spend: £6,000 plus service and VAT (which works out to be about £120 per head).

This Mayfair venue was built in the 16th Century and was converted into a townhouse in the 19th Century by Lord Revelstoke. The beautiful courtyard is perfect for a drinks reception, and the drawing rooms upstairs make an elegant backdrop for a wedding breakfast.

Wedding licence? Yes.Can we stay the night? No.Typical hire cost: You get exclusive use of the house and hire on weekends is £3,950 and £2,200 on weekdays.

North

Kenwood House by Laura Nolte in the Londonist Flickr pool.
Currently closed until Autumn 2013 for refurbishment, but those planning their wedding long in advance should consider this beautiful Hamsptead Heath landmark. Kenwood House was built to impress the cream of British society in the 18th Century, and contains stunning portraits throughout its grand rooms. In the summer months, you can put up a marquee and have your drinks reception outside on the Heath, too.

Wedding licence? No.Can we stay the night? No.Typical hire cost: The Old Kitchen starts from £1,000, The Orangery £2,500 and the Library and Dining Room £3,500.

This bar and restaurant in King’s Cross is housed in an old Victorian warehouse with exposed brick walls. It’s a bar and restaurant during the week and is open at weekends for private hire – so food, drink and parties are what they do.

Wedding licence? No.Can we stay the night? No.Typical hire cost: There’s no hire cost, just a minimum food and drinks spend of £2,800.

South

Image by friendlydrag0n in the Londonist Flickr pool.
James Thornhill, the artist responsible for the Painted Hall’s beauty, was directed to include as many references as possible to how important the navy was to Britain’s fortunes, but when it was completed, it was deemed to be too grand for its purpose. Today, this dramatic room is used for formal dinners and events, such as weddings. Check out this video by Reel Love Films to see for yourself.

Wedding licence? Yes – there is a chapel onsite, but Church of England wedding rules dictate whether or not you are eligible to use it.Can we stay the night? No.Typical hire cost: Room hire at the College starts at £1,200 for one of its smaller rooms.

East

In its early days in the 1700s, Wilton's was an alehouse and concert room. It became a music hall in 1850. Now run by Wilton’s Music Hall Trust, the building is quite magical. There is no daylight, but fairy lights and candles provide a pretty glow.

Image by M@
This atmospheric National Trust property was built in 1535 and is the oldest residential building in Hackney. Your guests will have fun exploring all of its nooks and crannies. Upstairs, there’s a room explaining the history of Hackney so, if you’re local to the area, this would be a gorgeous place to get wed.

Morrell House, 98 Curtain Road, Shoreditch, EC2A 3AF
Create your own signature cocktail and serve your guests “cock-teas” (cocktails served in tea-cups) as a celebration drink after your ceremony. This beautiful house was built in the 1800s and is said to be on the site of a medieval well, considered to be lucky for generations.Wedding licence? Yes.Can we stay the night? No but its Shoreditch location means you’re not short of hotel and B&B choices.Typical hire cost: Cost is dependent on what services you require, to find out more contact Cathy on 0207 729 4141.

West

Want a garden wedding in London? This place is perfect. Its original purpose was for training apprentices in identifying plants and it has over 5,000 species today. You can hire the garden and lawn for a summer wedding and there are events rooms in the back, too.

This isn’t an exhaustive list — many pubs and restaurants put on a great wedding party — so if you love your local, why not ask if you can have your reception there? And if you think a great venue has been missed off this list, add it to the comments box below and we'll append it to the article.

We got married at the Pump House, Battersea Park and hadthe reception/party in a marquee in the Park itself Highly recommended. PhilS

Susie Holden

I'm so glad you included Dartmouth House in Mayfair. I got married there and it was wonderful - really beautiful and we more or less had the whole house - plus courtyard - to ourselves.

Andree Grau

In central London the University Women's Club in Mayfairis a great place

Jeane Trend-Hill

From October 2012 – The Royal College General Practitioners HQ, 30 Euston Square NW1. A stunning Grade 2* listed building by Arthur Beresford Pite 1908 which has undergone a 22m refurbishment to restore it to it’s former glory. Licensed for weddings. State rooms and roof terrace for receptions also can arrange accommodation. It’s absolutely stunning; I am having my vow renewal there!

Cookie

Lord's Cricket Ground has a variety of stunning rooms to have your wedding reception or ceremony and the views are amazing from the Grade II* listed Pavilion. Having mine next year and sooooooooo excited. check it out at www.lords.org/weddings

Sara Casey

these look lovely - if you are a millionaire or don't mind saving for years to pay for it. what about some for those on a more modest/realistic budget? thanks

Helena Handbasket

We got married in the Trafalgar Tavern in Greenwich. As "rooms above a pub" go this was rather grand with fantastic views out over the Thames. http://www.trafalgartavern.co....

Ljm05

I'm getting married at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in August and it's a beautiful venue: http://www.chelsea-pensioners.... You can get married in the Chapel if you live in the parish/fit into CofE regulations to get married here. Alternatively you could have a stunning wedding reception in the Great Hall or State Apartments.

Also, they're members of Unique Venues of London which is a great starting point if you have no idea where you want to have your wedding but you want something a bit special. http://www.uniquevenuesoflondo...

LauraRust

Great to see Chandos House has been recommended. It really is a beautiful grade II listed venue and you can hire the whole house out if you want. The terrace has recently been refurbished and the bedrooms are all individually styled. Definately worth a look if you want to get married in central London

Matt Keen

Tower Bridge, North Tower Lounge. Name me anywhere better in London for £500.

Venue Detective

Royal Naval College is a massively impressive building, but not that easy to get to.

bigsands

Home House is impressive. Friendly staff. We covered a lovely wedding there in May 2012.

Louise

Regent's College in Regent's Park has also lovely gardens. Couldn't believe when I've heard you can put up a marquee for up to 400 people in middle of Royal Park!!! Getting married there next May :)

london dreams

Gettingmarried in London is like a dream come true.......even I have found one websiteregarding venues in London thecitycollection.org... do you know about this?

Nelly Tomlinson

I wanna get married in any of those places! they're lovely ♥

Mayard12

Charlton House hasbeen the central feature of Charlton for over four hundred years. Stunning Jacobeanmansion!

Dan Barrowclough

I recently attended a wedding at the Royal College of Physicians - http://www.rcpevents.co.uk/ . I fully recommend it, it was a great location and unique as well. Well worth considering

Excellent list of wedding venues in London. I would also like to mention one of the most stunning wedding venue I recently visited to attend a friend's wedding is the Top Indian restaurant The Cinnamon Club in westminster. What really left me awestruck at this venues was it's gorgeous food, service and the stunning grade 2 listed old westminster library setting. I have been to various wedding venues across the UK and somehow none of the venues could tick all the boxes. This particular venue had an exemplary quality of food specially and carefully designed according to the theme of the wedding which was bright Indian colours and elegant settings of english library. Simply loved it...Check this place out www.cinnamonclub.com

I agree that London is the perfect place to get married, it's like a dream come true. Finding a perfect wedding venue is step one to wedding planning. It is one of the most important things to consider while planning your wedding. Wedding is a onetime affair in a anybody's life and everyone wants that it should be perfection personified in each and every respect. I would like to add one more wedding venue in the list that you have provided, London Darbar. London Darbar provides quality Banquet Venues and Wedding Venues in London. Thanks for sharing London’s Best Wedding Venues. It would be of great help for someone who is planning for their wedding.http://londondarbar.com/venues...

dialus

I agree with you.Thank you.

Jordan.R.Wood

Fantastic article, some of these venues are what you dream of! The City of London Club is a fantastic venue situated in the very centre of the capital, well worth a look :) http://www.cityoflondonclub.co...